ROCKY FUENTES VIES FOR OPBF TITLE TUESDAY IN JAPAN
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Mar 2010
CEBU CITY -- 24-year-old Rocky Fuentes of Cebu will try to snatch the OPBF title from Masafumi Okubo of Japan at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan this Tuesday as the local crowd favorite Fuentes tries to take his share of the limelight from the talent-laden ALA Gym.
Fuentes, who has been side-stepped a couple of times for the opportunity to challenge Okubo's OPBF flyweight title, hopes that a win will open up more chances for him in the world stage.
"A win by Fuentes on Tuesday will enable him to crack at the world rankings," ALA Gym Vice-President Dennis Canete has informed. "So we'll see what transpires after that. I think Rocky is ripe to fight the elites of the division."
Fuentes (24-6-2, 15KO), who had impressed Interim WBA superfly champion Nonito Donaire, Jr after once serving as Nonito's sparring partner and who Nonito described as "a tremendous fighter with a lot of skills and power," has more quality fights than Okubo (16-2-1 5KO) and on paper is clearly the favorite.
"I've seen his (Okobu's) fights on tape and he throws a lot of punches," Fuentes said. "But I'm confident I can handle him."
Fuentes has been far removed from the December, 2003 incident where he knocked out his opponent, John Eman Juarez, unconscious, who later died in the hospital, and now appears ready to break into the limelight. A win on Tuesday is a step in the right direction.
Fuentes, together with Canete and trainers Edito Villamor and Joseph Baldago will leave Cebu today for Japan.
Rocky Fuentes works out at the ALA Gym Saturday. Photo by Dong Secuya.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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